Greetings in French

So you have a lot of French acquaintances, and the least you want to do is to be able to say hello in French. Greetings are of utmost importance in any language, simply because they decide the tone and the direction of the conversation. If you go wrong with the greetings, chances are, the rest of your conversation is not going to be very pleasant. Presented here are all the greetings in French, along with some French phrases that will help you in continuing a conversation after a greeting.

Tips on Learning the Basics of French Language

Here are some tips on the basic etiquette and pronunciations you should keep in mind when trying to speak in the French Language.

• There is a strict formal and informal code of conduct that is to be followed when speaking the French language. 'Vous' is used formally, while 'tu' is used informally. Use 'tu' only when you speak to someone you know very well, else, keep the conversation formal.
• When greeting someone formally, a handshake should always accompany the greeting. In case, it is informal, you may follow the greeting with a kiss on both the cheeks.
• The French language requires the use of nasal sounds when pronouncing certain words. The general rule is that when the consonant 'n' or 'm' appears after a vowel (a, e, i, o, u), the pronunciation of that word is nasal. For instance, 'Bonjour' is pronounced 'Bo-(n: silent)-jour'.
• The French language can be best learned by listening to the way the French speak, and imitating their ways.

Greetings in French Language

The greetings mentioned here have been given both in a formal as well as informal manner. As mentioned earlier, the tone of the conversation depends on the person you are talking to.

English Phrase	Formal Greetings	Informal Greetings
Hello/Good Morning	Bonjour	Salut
Good Afternoon (only used to bid goodbye)	Bon aprés midi	Bon aprés midi
Good Evening	Bonsoir (after 6 pm)	Salut
Welcome	Bienvenue	Bienvenue
Mr.	Monsieur	Monsieur
Mrs.	Madame	Madame
Miss/Ms.	Madamoiselle	Madamoiselle
What is your name?	Comment vous appellez-vous?	Tu-t'appelle comment?
My name is...	Je m'appelle...	Je m'appelle...
How are you?	Comment allez-vous?	Comment ça va? / Ça va?
Very well.	Trés bien. / Je vais bien.	Ça va bien.
Not bad.	Pas mal.	Pas mal.
So-So.	Comme-Ci Comme Ça.	Comme-ci Comme ça.
Not so well.	Pas si bien. / Pas trés bien.	Pas si bien. / Pas trés bien.
Bad.	Mal.	Ça va mal.
And you?	Et vous?	Et tu?
I'm Happy to meet you.	Je suis heureux(se) de faire votre connaissance.	Enchanté(e).
Pleasure.	Hereux(se).	Hereux(se).
Nice to see you.	Ça fait plaisir de vous revoir.	Ça fail plaisir de te revoir.
I would like you to meet...	Je vous présente...	Je te présente...
I would like to meet you.	J'aimerais/voudrais vous rencontrer.	Je voudrais te rencontrer.
What's new?	~	Quoi de neuf?
Nothing much.	~	Pas grand chose.
Thank you.	Merci.	Merci.
You're welcome.	Je vous en prie.	De rien.
Excuse me.	Excusez-moi.	Excusez-moi.
After you.	Apres vous.	~

Conversation Examples to Understand Greetings in French

So that you may understand the general flow of a conversation when greeting someone in French, here are a few examples, to explain the basics.

Formal Conversation

Example 1
Person 1: Bonjour Madame.
Person 2: Bonjour, comment-allez vous?
Person 1: Je vais bien, merci. Et vous?
Person 2: Je vais bien.

Example 2
Person 1: Bonjour Monsieur.
Person 2: Bonjour.
Person 1: Je vous présente mon ami(e) (my friend), Jean.
Person 2: Ah! Ça fait plaisir de vous revoir.

Informal Conversation

Example 1
Person 1: Salut, comment-ça va?
Person 2: Ça va bien, et toi?
Person 1: Trés bien.

Example 2
Person 1: Salut, Michelle.
Person 2: Salut, ça va?
Person 1: Ça va bien, je te présente mon ami(e), Michel.
Person 3: Je suis heureux de faire votre connaissance.
Person 2: Hereuse.

Dazzle all your French acquaintances by using these greetings whenever and wherever applicable. Remember to follow the basic etiquette such as shaking hands, or a kiss on the cheek along with the greetings.